I’ve got my own $.02 on this, just hang tight for two seconds and you’ll get it. A piece put together by ArtsTechnica.com gives a little rundown as to why mobile internet is seeing such a low adoption rate. Well, not really a rundown – they flat-out blame data plans. And I agree for the most part, especially in Canada where it can get pretty pricey to own a BlackBerry.
The article looks into the Q, iPhone, and yes, the BlackBerry, and their carriers and why people aren’t enjoying the smartphone’s benefits just yet.
This comes down to a chicken versus egg problem. The high data plan costs are relatively high because of the small number of users making use of the services. Dropping prices could attract substantially more customers—but would it be enough to enough to cover the costs of these networks? At some point, the carriers will have to be more aggressive with their pricing, because as long as the data plans remain high, widespread adoption will be low.
So where does that leave us? We’re waiting for a catalyst, a must-have device that will throw the mobile Internet providers into a vicious competition for users that will see them devoting their attention to more than just business users and corporate accounts. Will the iPhone be that device? Maybe. There are plenty of big players trying to make this happen, and right now both Microsoft and RIM have a sizable lead on Apple, and Symbian isn’t doing too bad, either.
I agree with this, but I don’t think it’s the only reason people are slow to adopt. Maybe they don’t want or need that level of connectivity just yet, did you ever think about it? Instead of forcing devices and plans on customers, carriers need to start understanding exactly what their customers are looking for and tailoring their sales to that, not what’s hot and new. If someone mentions email, then you bring in the smartphone category.
Don’t force people into doing things – that’ll scare them away if the high data prices didn’t already.
